Metallic-letter-casting machine.



F. W. AYERS METALLIC LETTER CASTING MACHINE. APPLICATIONFILED FEB. 16. I917.

1,272,887. Patented-111113 16, 1918.

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F. w. AYERS METALLIC LETTER CASTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION .FlLED FEB. 16 NHL Patented July 16, 1918.

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F. W. AYERS.

METALLIC LETTER CASTING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16.,19l7. 1,272,887. Patented July16, 1918.

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r. w. AYERS. METALLIC LETTER CASTING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. 19!]. 1,272,887.

5 SHEETS-SHIET 4.

Patented July 16, 1918.

F W. AYERS.

METALLIC LETTER CASTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, 1917.

1 ,272,887. Patented July 16, 1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

FRANK W. AYERS, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES C. FELT, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

METALLIC-LETTER-CASTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1918.

Application filed February 16, 1917. Serial No. 149,115.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, FRANK W. Areas, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic-Letter-Casting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertams to make and use the same.

The inventionrelates to ametallio letter casting machine.

Heretofore, the making of name plates for lettermg castings, has caused considerable annoyance, expense and. delay in the making of patterns for the castings and has necessitated frequent tedious carving by hand and the use of expensive metallic letters.

The object of thepresent invention is to obviate these objections and to provide a simple, practical and efficient metallic letter casting machine adapted to be, manufactured at a sufiicientlylow cost to place it within reach of every pattern shop and capable of lesseningthe cost of lettering patterns and of enabling the material used in the manufacture of such metallic letters to be used again when the letters become Worn.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a metallic letter casting machine of this character which will enable metallic letters to be rapidly manufactured and equipped with means, after the letters have been cast, of simultaneously compressing and shrinking the same to render the material of the letters compact and to increase the hardness of the letters and at the same time loosen the letters so that the same may be readily discharged fromthe molds or dies.

Another object of the invention is to provlde an automatically operating device adapted to knock or jar the cast letters from the molds or die plates should they not fall from the plates by an inverting ofthe same through the operation of the machine.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and piss? ai of ali nati n, W hin the scope of the claims, may be resorted to Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the metallic.

letter casting machine.

Fig. 4, is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Fig. 5 is a. transverse sectional view thereof.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view of a portion of one of the sprocket wheels and the sprocket chain or carrier illustrating the arrangement of the mold plate.

Fig. 7 is a detail vertical sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a detail horizontal sectional view on the line 88 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views of the links of the chain or conveyer.

Fig. 11 is a detail view of one of the mold plates.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged detail view illustrating the construction of the letter ejecting device.

Fig. 13 is a detail side view of one of the links.

Fig. 1 1 is a detail view of one of the mold plates showing the casting face thereof.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention the metallic letter casting machine comprises in its construction a frame or casing 1 preferably consisting of a casting of any suitable material and composed of integral side and end walls and a top 2, but the frame or casing may be of any other desired construction as will be readily understood. The side and end walls are provided at their lower edges with attaching lugs or ears to enable them to be readily secured to a suitable support and the end walls are provided with oblong openings 3 to enable sprocket wheels 4L- to be readily introduced into the frame or casing which is preferably tapered upwardly, as shown,

Th pr cket wheel a hich have P ysveyer chain,

onal rims -5, --are =mounted --ontransverse shafts 6 and 7, the shaft 7 being adjustable inwardly and outwardly with S relation to the shaft 6 to enable the sprocket; chainor conveyer to be placed under the desired tension. This inward and outward horizontal adjustment of the transverse shaft 7 ris preferably efi ecte'd by means of inner and outer adjustableplates 8 and 9 and adjusting screws 10 located at'opp'oslte'sides of the frame or casing of the machine. The

.side "walls of" the frame or casing are g'provided with longitudinally disposed horizontal slots 11 --fo1- the reception of the terminal portions of the transverse shaft-7, and lthey are also provided with spacedhorizontal exteriorly arranged guiding flanges '12'd1sposed in pairs and receiving the outer plates, as clearly illustrated inFigi 7' of'the drawings. The outer plates "are enlarged to form bosses "around the shaft and they are connected with the innerplates by 'screWsI3, which are adapted to draw 'the plates in clamping relation to maintain: them 'fir'mly in engagement with"the--side walls after the shaft 7 has been properly set or adjusted.

;The --screws 10, which are :m'ounted 'i'n lugs l l of the side walls of the frame, f engage -'threa'cledopenings 15 of flanges 16 formed integral with the outer plates and located 'By adjusting the screws the conveyor or sprocket-chain "may be arranged at the proper tension. The shafts are journaled in the bearings and are *maintained again-st longitudinal v movement by set collars, 17. One of. the shafts is extended and equipped with a crank 18, or other suitable device, forrotzit- :ing the shaft 'to operate the machine.

' The polygonal rims of the sprocket wheels are provided at their angles with transverse grooves 19' for the reception of 4 hinge vjoints 20 of links 21 of the endless sprocket or conwhich carries inold plates 22. The mold platesfor castingthe letters may be constructed for casting one 1 or more let- 7 ters oriother characters of any style or form and they are interlocked with the links by imeans of' corner lugs 23 andare maintained 50 in their iinterlocked relation by studs 24: and nuts:25. The links are provided with cen- .tral bosses 26 through which the threaded studs 24: pass and the nuts engage the links watt-the inner s faces thereof and are received :in openings 7270f the rims of thersprocket ;=wheels. -.of the sprocket wheels are =substantiallyeo- --rincidentwith the links gsprocket chain :and the --with the The polygonal :faees I of I I the rims :of theconveyer or latter is interlocked sprocket wheels and is actuated whenithe crank 18 ,is 'turnecl- -'to rotate the shaft on which is mounted. I

The upper flight or stretch of the 'conveyer chain travels rover the top 'ofthe-frame or casing, which is provided with ja central lon- -gitudinal "groove 28 'to receive the hinge joints of the links. The chain also travels 'I beneath; an opening 0rTb'1-1tlet 29' of a- -bowl consisting1of inner and outer shells 30* and 31 formed integral with each other and con- -nected-at the-bottom of the bowl at the said --outlet or opening 29. The bowl is provided gat the bottorn with attaching flanges 32 and is boltedoon-otherwise secured to the top of the'frame or casing.

contains the material from whiehatheletters are cast terminates shortof-the,plane-of the upper edges of :the outer a shell. which is equipped with a pivoted -cov er .32 adapted: to be swung horizontally .OlkllDSgPlVOt 34: to

cover and -unc'over the bowl and it is pro- 'videdjat; a point diametrieally =opposite the f pivot witha suitable handle 35. The outer "shellis provided at one side with anopening'BG into which eXtendsXthe burner 37 of agasolene' tof ch 38 andthe latter is arranged upQn aflpr ing' brack b w adia y curedtothe adjacent side ofithe frame or casing by, a, b0lt AC0 operating in a vertical 'slofi ll afidgpro'vided with a nut 42. The slotted portion of {the frame or. casing is arranged'gin a vertical, plane andtheibolt is f preferably cast in the bracket and a washer "43 is "interposedtbtweenithe nut and the inner faceof thejs lotted jportionof the frame oracasing. Thebralcket, which 'may beof any desired construction, is adjustable vertically'to accommodate torches; or other heatain g' d'evice's of various sizesand the inner bowl is thickenedat {E L'iOPPOSitG thG opening -36 -wl1erefthe fia-I'ne off the torch impinges aQgain'St-the inner shell or b'owlrproper. The flame is adapted to spreadjin 1 the intervenin'g space "45 between the inner and outer she'llsanil thedleated 'air 'i's; adapted, to escape "through antopening 46 "formed in the outer she-ll at the'bottom'"thereof andacommunicat- ;'-ingwith anio utlet passagef i'l'extendinglongi'tudinally of the top of the frame for casmg and j'aroundfthejf'rontfend 'off'the sameplates beneathfltheou let offtheunnerjbowl ito-'eause -the 'moldcavities 'ofthe mfoldlp'lates :to become-filled :w-ithfthe melted 'or'molten material within the bowl and the molded letters orcharaJCters v aire, sheared oif j smooth The inner shell which steel plate or blade 49 mounted in the bottom portion of the bowl in a recess at the rear wall of the outlet.

The cast material contained within the mold plates is hardened or compressed to harden the letters and render the material more compact by means of a roller 50 located in rear of the bowl and mounted in a suitable casing 51 with which is connected a weighted arm or lever 52. The roller, which in practice is designed to be maintained in a cool condition by cold water or other suitable means, chills the cast letters or other characters and causes the same to shrink sufficiently to permit the contents of the molds to be readily discharged when the mold plates are inverted in passing around the sprocket wheel at the rear or discharge end of the machine. The casing 51, which is pivoted by a pin 53 or other suitable fastening'device between spaced ears or flanges of the outer shell of the bowl, is preferably composed of spaced sides and a connecting portion to which the arm 52' is riveted or I otherwise secured, and the said arm carries a weight 54L which is adjustable inwardly and outwardly to vary the pressure exerted by the roller upon the cast letters or characters. The casing and the arm and the weight constitute a weighted lever for pressing the roller downwardly upon the mold plates.

in order to insure a proper discharge of the contents of the mold plates an ejecting device is employed. The ejecting device consists of a bell crank lever 55 pivoted at its angle on a horizontal 'pin or pivot 56 on which is also mounted a coiled spring 57 having one end connected with the frame by a suitable fastening device 58 and connected at is other end with one arm of the bell crank lever. One of the arms of the bell crank lever extends upwardly and is arranged in the path of lugs 59 carried by the rear sprocket wheel and arranged to suecessively engage the upwardly extending arm of the bell'crank lever. When a lug strikes the upwardly extending arm of the ejecting lever the other arm which extends inwardly in a slightly inclined position is swung downwardly against the action of the coiled spring which when the lug releases the upwardly extending arm causes the longitudinal, arm to be swung upwardly into contact with the adjacent mold plate and the blow is adapted to and cause the discharge of a letter or character should the same not have been previously discharged by the inverting of the mold plate. The longitudinally disposed arm is provided at its terminal with an upwardly projecting portion or head 60.

The base portion 61 of the bowl forms a longitudinal groove or way for the passage of the upper flight or run of the sprocket or conveyer chain and presents a fiat upper face to the mold plates and straight vertical side edges to the side edges of the links, which are held against movement out of their true path so that an accurate casting of the letters or characters is assured. Also the grooves or recesses which accommodate the hinge joints of the links terminate short of the side edges of the rims of the sprocket wheels so that the chain is held against lateral movement as well as longitudinal creeping on the wheels.

The mold plates are interchangeable and letters and characters of various kinds and styles may be employed and after the ma terial from which the letters or characters are to be molded has been heated to the desired temperature and is in the proper condition the machine may be rapidly operated by turning the crank, but instead of operating the machine by hand any other suitable means may of course be employed, and the letters or characters may be rapidly and ac curately cast. The outlet passage for the hot air, besides adorning a circulation and draft for the flame from the burner to permit the latter to envelop the inner shell, also enables the hot air to take any chill off the molds prior to the same passing beneath the bowl and the said molds will be in a heated condition when they receive the molten ma terial at the outlet of the bowl. Also the reinforcing enlargement of the inner shell presents a convex face to the flame and tends to facilitate the spreading of the flame of the burner over the outer surfaceof the inner shell.

What is claimed is:

l. A metallic letter casting machine including a bowl provided at the bottom with a centrally arranged outlet, said bowl being composed of inner and outer shells connected together at the said outlet centrally of the bottom and being spaced apart from the bottom to the top to provide an uninterrupted open intervening space, extending entirely around the bowl and beneath the bottom thereof, said outer shell being provided at one side with an opening, heating means located at the said opening for heating the contents of the inner shell, and a conveyer provided with molds arranged to pass beneath the said outlet.

2. A metallic letter casting machine including a bowl or receptacle having an outlet, polygonal sprocket wheels spaced from the outlet and having grooves or recesses at the angles, an endless chain having a flight extending beneath the outlet, said chain being composed of links having hinge joints received within the said recesses, and mold plates provided with means for securing them to the links and having corner lugs interlocked with the said links.

3 A metallic letter casting machine in cluding a bowl or receptacle having an outlet, polygonal sprocket wheels having grooves or recesses at the angles and provided with openings located at points between the said angles, an endless chain composed of links having hinge joints received within the said recesses, and mold plates provided with centrally arranged studs secured to the links and adapted to project into said openings, said mold plates being also provided with corner lugs interlocked with the links.

4. A metallic letter casting machine including a superimposed bowl or receptacle having an outlet, a frame or casing supporting the bowl or receptacle and provided with opposite slots, transverse shafts, one of the said shafts extending through the said slots, sprocket wheels mounted on the said shafts, an endless sprocket chain arranged on the sprocket wheels and having molds adapted 'to be carried to and from "theoutlet of the bowl by the said chain, and means for adjusting the chain for maintaina ing the same at the proper tension, said means comprising inner and outer plates having: bearing openings receiving one of thesaid shafts, fastening means connecting the said plates, and adjusting screws for moving the said plates inwardly and outwardly.

5. A metallic letter casting machine including a bowlor receptacle having an'outlet, a c'onveyer provided with molds and '1 adapted to carry the same to and from the saidoutlet, and a weighted levers-provided with a roller arranged .to engage the, cast material after the same -leaves the bowl.

6. A'ineta-llic letter casting' inachineilr y eluding verticalsprocket'wheels, a conveyer "cliain arrange'd on the sprocket wheels and "having" upper and lower horizontal flights and provided with moldsymean's for supplying l'na'terial to thesaid'molds, and an ej ectingdev'ice comprising'an angle lever pivoted below *the lower flight, a spring for urging the angle lever in one directionyand lugs carried by one of the "sprocket wheels and arranged to engage and release the said "lever, one arm of the lever being arranged to engage the said molds of the bottom 7 A metallic letter casting inachineineluding a "frame creasing having "a longi- 'tudinally disposed 'hot air outlet constituting a 'draft passage, a superimposed bowl composed of spaced inner and outershells and having-"an opening communicating with the space between the shells 'a'nd the said passage, the inner shell being provided with an outlet, and a conveyer having molds arranged 'to pass beneath the'outlet of the in- .n'er shell and along the 'said'pa'ssage where- 'by the chill is remo ved from the inolds.

v '8. A metallic letter casting {machine includlng a frame or casing provided with an with the said space and with the said passage, the said'bowl being adjustable in the guide or way.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK W. AYERS. Witnesses G. M. *SHROCK, F. A. STEELE.

Copies-of thi s pate'nt may be 'obtaind for'five emseaat addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. 0. 

